News Flash: Models Are Smart

During a recent red carpet interview with New York magazine, what started as a casual conversation about sports turned into Sports Illustrated model Irina Shayk's defense of her intellect: "I do understand a lot, you know. Basketball, U.S. Open...I mean, everybody thinks models are stupid, but trust me, we are very smart. Just for you to know, people, models are very smart. We're investing money in the right way..."

While Shayk certainly can't speak for the stock portfolio of every model striking a pose, a study published earlier this year offers some support for her "models are very smart" thesis. Researchers at the London School of Economics found that there does seem to be a significant correlation between attractiveness and intelligence. Attractive men have IQs that are 13.6 points above the average, gorgeous women are 11.4 points higher than average. (Click the link in the Daily News article to download the abstract of the study, which also suggests that hot British people are smarter than hot Americans, but I digress.)

I also have some anecdotal evidence that supports Shayk. In my time at Allure, I've had to interview many models of runway, editorial, and advertising fame, and have often (though admittedly not always) been impressed by their accomplishments and worldly interests. Due to their extensive traveling, a large number of these women speak multiple languages. And because they work so closely with designers, photographers, and stylists, they have a keen aesthetic sensibility. Only last week, I was talking to creative director Paul Cavaco about a brainy young model who will appear in our October "Best of Beauty" portfolio, and he compared her fluency in art, film, and photography to supermodel Linda Evagelista, who had a voracious appetite for visual art. "That's what made Linda such a great model; she got it," he said.

Now, I take no pleasure is giving hot people yet another advantage (damn it, they already get paid more, do they have to be smarter too?), but I do think it's important to remember that just because someone has a pretty face, she doesn't necessarily have an empty head.

Tell us, what do you think: Do you ever just assume that models are dumb?